Stop! Don’t Eat That Dirt!

Yes, we do, in fact, need to wash all of our produce, even that which is organic.

I’m not being funny here, as I have been asked this very question, whether or not organic produce defaults to an equivalent ‘no need to wash’ and no, it does not.

Even though any given fruit or veg may not have been sprayed with chemicals or grown in soil treated with pesticides, there are still little critters and bacteria in dirt that we wouldn’t necessarily want to eat.

So how to best wash our produce?

Start with water! You may want to err on the side of caution by using a solution of 3:1 vinegar to water, too, but be sure to rinse, rinse and rinse even more.

Certain produce is easier to wash than others; apples and oranges for example, versus spinach or leeks, the latter of which are often grown in sandy soil.

Yes, there are times when you might be in a pinch, like grabbing an apple on the go from the market, and I’ve certainly been guilty of eating the occasional unwashed piece of fruit, but try to make it a habit to clean the fruit or veggies more often than not.